FTDI USB-RS485-WE-1800-BT User manual

Future Technology Devices International Limited (FTDI)

Unit1, 2 Seaward Place, Centurion Business Park,, Glasgow G41 1HH United Kingdom

Tel.: +44 (0) 141 429 2777 Fax: + 44 (0) 141 429 2758

E-Mail (Support): support1@ftdichip.com Web: http://www.ftdichip.com

Neither the whole nor any part of the information contained in, or the product described in this manual, may be adapted or reproduced

in any material or electronic form without the prior written consent of the copyright holder. This product and its documen tation are

supplied on an as-is basis and no warranty as to their suitability for any particular purpose is either made or implied. Future Technology

Devices International Ltd will not accept any claim for damages howsoever arising as a result of use or failure of this product. Your

statutory rights are not affected. This product or any variant of it is not intended for use in any medical appliance, device or system in

which the failure of the product might reasonably be expected to result in personal injury. This document provides preliminary

information that may be subject to change without notice. No freedom to use patents or other intellectual property rights is implied by

the publication of this document. Future Technology Devices International Ltd, Unit1, 2 Seaward Place, Centurion Business Park,

Glasgow, G41 1HH, United Kingdom. Scotland Registered Number: SC136640

Future Technology Devices International Ltd

USB to RS485 Serial Converter Cable

Datasheet

Document Reference No.: FT_000117

Version 1.4

Issue Date: 2010-05-27

Document Reference No.: FT_000117

USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

1 Description

The USB-RS485 cable is a USB to RS485 levels serial UART converter cable incorporating FTDI‟s

FT232RQ USB to serial UART interface IC device which handles all the USB signalling and protocols. The

cable provides a fast, simple way to connect devices with a RS485 interface to USB.

Each USB-RS485 cable contains a small internal electronic circuit board, utilising the FT232R, which is

encapsulated into the USB connector end of the cable. The FT232R datasheet, DS_FT232R, is available at

http://www.ftdichip.com. The integrated electronics also include the RS485 transceiver plus Tx and Rx

LEDs which give a visual indication of traffic on the cable (if transparent USB connector specified).

The other end of the cable is bare, tinned wire ended connections by default, but can be customised

using different connectors to support various applications.

The USB-RS485 cable is designed for use at the end of an RS485 network up to approximately 10m. For

longer networks or placement of the USB-RS485 cable in the middle of an RS485 network it is

recommended that the attached wire is cut to 20cm or less to ensure signal integrity

Cables are FCC, CE, RoHS compliant.

The cable is USB powered and USB 2.0 full speed compatible. Each cable is 1.8m long and supports a

data transfer rate up to 3 Mbaud. Each cable supports the FTDIChip-ID™, with a unique USB serial

number programmed into the FT232R. This feature can be used to create a security or password

protected file transfer access using the cable. Further information and examples on this feature are

available at http://www.ftdichip.com under FTDIChip-ID Projects.

The USB-RS485 cables require USB drivers, available free from http://www.ftdichip.com, which are

used to make the FT232R in the cable appear as a virtual COM port (VCP). This then allows the user to

communicate with the USB interface via a standard PC serial emulation port (for example TTY). Another

FTDI USB driver, the D2XX driver, can also be used with application software to directly access the

FT232R on the cable though a DLL. This is illustrated in the Figure 1.1

VCP

TTY

USB

USB_RS485

Virtual COM Port

Software application access to USB via D2XX

USB

TTY

D2XX

DLL

Wire Ended

Customised connectors

Various Connector

Options

Wire Ended

Various Connector

Options

Customised connectors

Figure 1.1 Using the USB-RS485 Cable

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USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

2 Cable Part Numbers

The following

Table 2.1 gives details of the available USB-RS485 cables.

Part Number

Description

End Connector*

Cable details

USB-RS485-WE-1800-BT

USB to UART cable with RS485

level UART signals. Black cable,

Transparent USB connector

Wire Ended (no

connector)

1.8m cable,6 core,

UL2464 24 AWG,

diam=5mm

*

USB-RS485-CC-LLLL-CU-

X

USB to UART cable with RS485

level UART signals.

C = cable colour (B black or T

transparent),

U = USB connector colour (T

transparent or B black)

X = voltage (P is 5V, G is 0V)

CC = Connector

description.

LLLL = Length of

cable.

Table 2.1 USB-RS485 Cables Descriptions and Part Numbers

* FTDI supports customised end connector designs. For more information, please contact FTDI Sales Team

(sales1@ftdichip.com)

2.1 Certifications

FTDI USB-RS485 cable is fully RoHs compliant as well as CE and FCC certified.

FCC Part 15, Subpart B, Class B. CISPR 22: 1997+A1: 2000, Class B. ICES-003: 2004, Class B.

ANSI C63.4-2003.

2.1 USB Compliant

The USB-R485 cables are fully compliant with the USB 2.0 specification.

Document Reference No.: FT_000117

USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

Table of Contents

1 Description ..................................................................................... 1

2 Cable Part Numbers ........................................................................ 2

2.1 Certifications ................................................................................................. 2

2.1 USB Compliant .............................................................................................. 2

The USB-R485 cable is fully compliant with the USB 2.0 specification. ................... 2

3 Typical Applications ........................................................................ 4

3.1 Driver Support .............................................................................................. 4

3.2 Features ........................................................................................................ 4

4 Features of FT232R applicable to USB-RS485 Cable ....................... 5

5 USB-RS485-WE-LLLL-CU-X ............................................................. 6

5.1 USB-RS485-WE Connections and Mechanical Details ..................................... 6

5.2 USB-RS485-WE Cable Signal Descriptions ..................................................... 7

5.3 USB-RS485-WE Electrical Parameters ........................................................... 7

5.4 Local Echo ..................................................................................................... 8

6 Cable PCB Block Diagram................................................................ 9

7 USB-RS485 – Schematic ............................................................... 10

8 Contact Information ..................................................................... 11

Appendix A - Cable EEPROM Configuration ......................................... 13

Appendix B - List of Figures and Tables.............................................. 14

Appendix C - Revision History ............................................................ 15

Document Reference No.: FT_000117

USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

3 Typical Applications

USB to serial RS485 level converter.

Upgrading legacy peripherals to USB.

Interface Microcontroller UART or I/O to USB.

Interface FPGA or PLD to USB.

USB Instrumentation PC interface.

USB industrial control.

USB password protected file transfers.

3.1 Driver Support

Royalty free VIRTUAL COM PORT

(VCP) DRIVERS for...

Windows 7 64-bit

Windows XP and XP 64-bit

Windows Vista and Vista 64-bit

Windows XP Embedded

Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000, Server 2003,

and Server 2008

Windows CE 4.2, 5.0 and 6.0

Mac OS 8/9, OS-X

Linux 2.4 and greater

Royalty free D2XX Direct Drivers

(USB Drivers + DLL S/W Interface)

Windows 7 64-bit

Windows XP and XP 64-bit

Windows Vista and Vista 64-bit

Windows XP Embedded

Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000, Server 2003,

and Server 2008

Windows CE 4.2, 5.0 and 6.0

Linux 2.4 and greater

Mac OS-X

The drivers listed above are all available to download for free from www.ftdichip.com. Various 3rd

Party Drivers are also available for other operating systems - see www.ftdichip.com for details.

3.2 Features

USB-RS485 converter cable provides a USB to

RS485 serial interface with customised end

connectors.

Entire USB protocol handled by the electronics

in the cable.

EIA/TIA-485 communication interface with low

power requirements.

UART interface support for 7 or 8 data bits, 1

or 2 stop bits and odd / even / mark / space /

no parity.

Internal EEPROM with user writeable area.

FTDI‟s royalty-free VCP allow for

communication as a standard emulated COM

port and D2XX „direct‟ drivers provide DLL

application programming interface.

Visual indication of Tx and Rx traffic via LEDs in

the transparent USB connector.

X-On / X-Off software handshaking.

Data transfer rates from 300 baud to 3 Mbaud.

Support for FT232R FTDIChip-ID™ feature for

improved security.

Low USB bandwidth consumption.

UHCI / OHCI / EHCI host controller compatible.

USB 2.0 Full Speed compatible.

-40°C to +85°C operating temperature range.

Cable length is 1.80m (6 feet).

ESD Protection for RS-485 I/O's

±15kV Human Body Model (HBM)

±15kV EN61000-4-2 Air Gap Discharge

±8kV EN61000-4-2 Contact Discharge

FCC and CE compliant.

Custom versions available on request (subject

to MOQ).

RoHS Compliant

Document Reference No.: FT_000117

USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

4 Features of FT232R applicable to USB-RS485 Cable

The USB-RS485 cable uses FTDI‟s FT232RQ USB to serial UART IC device. This section summarises the

key features of the FT232RQ which apply to the USB-RS485 USB to serial RS485 converter cables. For

further details, and a full features and enhancements description consult the FT232R datasheet. This is

available from www.ftdichip.com.

Internal EEPROM. The internal EEPROM in each cable is used to store USB Vendor ID (VID), Product ID

(PID), device serial number, product description string and various other USB configuration descriptors.

Each cable is supplied with the internal EEPROM pre-programmed as described in Appendix A –Cable

EEPROM Configuration. The internal EEPROM descriptors can be programmed in circuit, over USB

without any additional voltage requirement. It can be programmed using the FTDI utility software called

MPROG, which can be downloaded from FTDI Utilities on the FTDI website (www.ftdichip.com).

Additionally, there is a user area of the internal EEPROM available to system designers to allow storing of

data (note that this is not modified by MPROG).

Lower Operating and Suspend Current. The FT232R has a low 15mA operating supply current and a

very low USB suspend current of approximately 70μA. (Note that during suspend mode, the current

drawn by any customised cable application which uses the USB supply, should not exceed 2.5mA to

remain USB compliant)

Low USB Bandwidth Consumption. The USB interface of the FT232R, and therefore the USB-RS485

cables has been designed to use as little as possible of the total USB bandwidth available from the USB

host controller.

FTDIChip-ID™. The FT232R includes the new FTDIChip-ID™ security dongle feature. This FTDIChip-ID™

feature allows a unique number to be burnt into each cable during manufacture. This number cannot be

reprogrammed. This number is only readable over USB can be used to form the basis of a security dongle

which can be used to protect any customer application software being copied. This allows the possibility

of using the USB-RS485 cables as a dongle for software licensing. Further to this, a renewable license

scheme can be implemented based on the FTDIChip-ID™ number when encrypted with other information.

This encrypted number can be stored in the user area of the FT232R internal EEPROM, and can be

decrypted, then compared with the protected FTDIChip-ID™ to verify that a license is valid. Web based

applications can be used to maintain product licensing this way. An application note, AN232R-02,

available from FTDI website (www.ftdichip.com) describes this feature.

Improved EMI Performance. The USB-RS485 cables are FCC and CE certified.

Extended Operating Temperature Range - The USB-RS485 cables are capable of operating over an

extended temperature range of -40º to +85º C thus allowing them to be used in automotive or industrial

applications.

Document Reference No.: FT_000117

USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

5 USB-RS485-WE-LLLL-CU-X

The USB-RS485-WE cable is un-terminated; it has bare and tinned wires.

The LLLL specifies the length of the cable in cm. The CU specifies the colour of the cable and the colour of

the USB connector. The cable can be either Black or transparent. The USB connector comes default as

transparent because of LED implemented inside the plug but can be sold in black colour as well. For

simplicity, the LLLL and CU have been dropped from the following descriptions.

The cable outputs 5V power on the wire by default. This can be modified to output 0V power. The letter X

in the part number indicates the output power selection.

5.1 USB-RS485-WE Connections and Mechanical Details

The following Figure 5.1 shows the cable signals and the wire colours for the signals on the USB-RS485-

WE cable.

Figure 5.1 USB-RS485-WE Connections

Figure 5.2 USB-RS485-WE Mechanical Details (dimensions in mm)

Figure 5.3 USB-RS485-WE Cable images

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USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

5.2 USB-RS485-WE Cable Signal Descriptions

Colour

Name

Type

Description

Black

GND

Device ground supply pin.

Brown

Terminator 1

Input

Pin 1 of 120R Terminating Resistor. Only Required if

the USB-RS485-WE cable is the first or last device

in a multi-drop RS485 System, to meet RS485

Termination Requirements.

Red

POWER

Output

Default output is +5V when active, 0V during

suspend.

Power output can be customized to 0V, if required,

contact FTDI Sales Team (sal[email protected]om).

Switchable power to external device, 250mA max.

OFF during suspend

Orange

Data+(A)

Bi-Direction

Data + (A) Signal

Yellow

Data-(B)

Bi-Direction

Data - (B) Signal

Green

Terminator 2

Input

Pin 2 of 120R Terminating Resistor. Only Required if

the USB-RS485-WE cable is the first or last device

in a multi-drop RS485 System, to meet RS485

Termination Requirements.

Table 5.1 USB-RS485-WE Cable Signal Descriptions

5.3 USB-RS485-WE Electrical Parameters

Parameter

Description

Minimum

Typical

Maximum

Units

Conditions

VCC_5V

Output Power Voltage*

4.25

5.0*

5.25

V

This only applies when

cable has been configured to

output 5V. The range is

dependent on the USB port

that the USB-RS485-WE is

connected to

IO

Output Power Current***

-

250

mA

Must be less that 2.5mA

during suspend.

T

Operating Temperature

Range

-40

+85

oC

Table 5.2 USB-RS485-WE I/O Operating Parameters

*Default is 5V.

***Only applies when POWER output is 5V.

Document Reference No.: FT_000117

USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

Parameter

Description

Minimum

Typical

Maximum

Units

Conditions

Receiver Input

VCM

Common-mode input

voltage range

-7

+12

V

IN

Input Current

1.0

mA

VIN = +12V

–0.8

VIN = –7V

VTH

DIfferential Threshold

Voltage,VTH

-0.2

+0.2

V

VIHYST

Input Hysteresis

20

mV

RIN

Input Resistance, RIN

12

15

kΩ

Transmitter Output

VOD

DIfferential Output Voltage,

dVOD

1.5

5

V

With RL = 54Ω. CL = 50pF *

Table 5.3 USB-RS485-WE I/O Pin Characteristics

* - The 54 ohms is the equivalent of two 120 ohm termination resistors placed on each side of the

transmission line and the input impedance of 32 receivers on the line.

Description

Conditions

Minimum

Typical

Maximum

ESD HBM

RS-485 Inputs and

Outputs

±15 kV

EN61000-4-2ContactDischarge

RS-485 Inputs and

Outputs

±8 kV

EN61000-4-2AirGapDischarge

RS-485 Inputs and

Outputs

±15 kV

Table 5.4 USB-RS485-WE ESD Tolerance

5.4 Local Echo

RS485 systems often have local echo enabled. This means any data transmitted by a device is echoed

back to itself.

The USB-RS485-WE cable allows for local echo to be enabled/disabled by changing a bit in the FT232R

EEPROM. If CBUS4 in the EEPROM is set for “PWRON#” local echo is enabled. If CBUS4 in the EEPROM is

set for “TXDEN” local echo is disabled.

Users can set this with MPROG from www.ftdichip.com

The default for the local echo is disabled (CBUS4 set for “TXDEN).

Document Reference No.: FT_000117

USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

6 Cable PCB Block Diagram

The block diagram for the small internal electronic circuit board, utilising the FTDI FT232R, which is

encapsulated into the USB connector end of the cable, is shown in Figure 6.1.

Customised versions of the cable are also available. Users interested in customised versions of these

cables should contact FTDI sales ([email protected]).

Figure 6.1 Block diagram of PCB Used in the USB to RS485 Serial Converter Cable

Document Reference No.: FT_000117

USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

7 USB-RS485 – Schematic

Schematic for converter cable, USB-RS485 is shown below in figure 7.1

Figure 7.1 Schematic of USB-RS485 Converter Cable

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Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

8 Contact Information

Head Office – Glasgow, UK

Future Technology Devices International Limited

Unit 1, 2 Seaward Place, Centurion Business Park

Glasgow G41 1HH

United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 141 429 2777

Fax: +44 (0) 141 429 2758

E-mail (Sales)

[email protected]om

E-mail (Support)

[email protected]om

E-mail (General Enquiries)

admin1@ftdichip.com

Web Site URL

http://www.ftdichip.com

Web Shop URL

http://www.ftdichip.com

Branch Office – Taipei, Taiwan

Future Technology Devices International Limited

(Taiwan)

2F, No. 516, Sec. 1, NeiHu Road

Taipei 114

Taiwan , R.O.C.

Tel: +886 (0) 2 8791 3570

Fax: +886 (0) 2 8791 3576

E-mail (Sales)

tw.sales1@ftdichip.com

E-mail (Support)

tw.support1@ftdichip.com

E-mail (General Enquiries)

tw.admin1@ftdichip.com

Web Site URL

http://www.ftdichip.com

Branch Office – Hillsboro, Oregon, USA

Future Technology Devices International Limited

(USA)

7235 NW Evergreen Parkway, Suite 600

Hillsboro, OR 97123-5803

USA

Tel: +1 (503) 547 0988

Fax: +1 (503) 547 0987

E-Mail (Sales)

[email protected]om

E-Mail (Support)

us.support@ftdichip.com

E-Mail (General Enquiries)

us.admin@ftdichip.com

Web Site URL

http://www.ftdichip.com

Branch Office – Shanghai, China

Future Technology Devices International Limited

(China)

Room 408, 317 Xianxia Road,

Shanghai, 200051

China

Tel: +86 21 62351596

Fax: +86 21 62351595

E-mail (Sales)

cn[email protected]om

E-mail (Support)

cn.support@ftdichip.com

E-mail (General Enquiries)

cn.admin@ftdichip.com

Web Site URL

http://www.ftdichip.com

Document Reference No.: FT_000117

USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

Distributor and Sales Representatives

Please visit the Sales Network page of the FTDI Web site for the contact details of our distributor(s) and

sales representative(s) in your country.

Vinculum is part of Future Technology Devices International Ltd. Neither the whole nor any part of the information contained in, or the product described in

this manual, may be adapted or reproduced in any material or electronic form without the prior written consent of the copyright holder. This product and its

documentation are supplied on an as-is basis and no warranty as to their suitability for any particular purpose is either made or implied. Future Technology

Devices International Ltd will not accept any claim for damages howsoever arising as a result of use or failure of this product. Your statutory rights are not

affected. This product or any variant of it is not intended for use in any medical appliance, device or system in which the failure of the product might

reasonably be expected to result in personal injury. This document provides preliminary information that may be subject to change without notice. No

freedom to use patents or other intellectual property rights is implied by the publication of this document. Future Technology Devices International Ltd, Unit

1, 2 Seaward Place, Centurion Business Park, Glasgow G41 1HH United Kingdom. Scotland Registered Number: SC136640

Document Reference No.: FT_000117

USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

Appendix A - Cable EEPROM Configuration

Each USB-RS485 cable is controlled by the FTDI FT232R IC. This FT232R device contains an EEPROM

which contains the USB configuration descriptors for that device. When the cable is plugged into a PC or a

USB reset is performed, the PC will read these descriptors. The default values stored into the internal

EEPROM are defined in Table 0.1

Parameter

Value

Notes

USB Vendor ID (VID)

0403h

FTDI default VID (hex)

USB Product UD (PID)

6001h

FTDI default PID (hex)

Serial Number Enabled?

Yes

Serial Number

See Note

A unique serial number is generated and programmed into

the EEPROM during device final test.

Pull down I/O Pins in USB

Suspend

Disabled

Enabling this option will make the device pull down on the

UART interface lines when the power is shut off (PWREN#

is high).

Manufacturer Name

FTDI

Product Description

See note

USB-RS485-WE

Max Bus Power Current

250mA

Power Source

Bus Powered

Device Type

FT232R

USB Version

0200

Returns USB 2.0 device description to the host.

Note: The device is a USB 2.0 Full Speed device (12Mb/s)

as opposed to a USB 2.0 High Speed device (480Mb/s).

Remote Wake Up

Disabled

High Current I/Os

Enabled

Enables the high drive level on the UART and CBUS I/O

pins.

Load VCP Driver

Enabled

Makes the device load the VCP driver interface for the

device.

Invert TXD

Disabled

Signal on this pin becomes TXD# if enable.

Invert RXD

Disabled

Signal on this pin becomes RXD# if enable.

Invert RTS#

Disabled

Signal on this pin becomes RTS if enable.

Invert CTS#

Disabled

Signal on this pin becomes CTS if enable.

Table 0.1 Default Internal EEPROM Configuration

The internal EEPROM in the cable can be re-programmed over USB using the utility program MPROG.

MPROG can be downloaded from the www.ftdichip.com. Version 2.8a or later is required for the FT232R

chip. Users who do not have their own USB Vendor ID but who would like to use a unique Product ID in

their design can apply to FTDI for a free block of unique PIDs. Contact FTDI support for this service.

Document Reference No.: FT_000117

USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

Appendix B - List of Figures and Tables

List of Figures

Figure 1.1 Using the USB-RS485 Cable ............................................................................ 1

Figure 5.1 USB-RS485-WE Connections ............................................................................ 6

Figure 5.2 USB-RS485-WE Mechanical Details (dimensions in mm) ...................................... 6

Figure 5.3 USB-RS485-WE Cable images .......................................................................... 6

Figure 6.1 Block diagram of PCB Used in the USB to RS485 Serial Converter Cable ................ 9

Figure 7.1 Schematic of USB-RS485 Converter Cable ....................................................... 10

List of Tables

Table 2.1 USB-RS485 Cables Descriptions and Part Numbers .............................................. 2

Table 5.1 USB-RS485-WE Cable Signal Descriptions .......................................................... 7

Table 5.2 USB-RS485-WE I/O Operating Parameters.......................................................... 7

Table 5.3 USB-RS485-WE I/O Pin Characteristics .............................................................. 8

Table 5.4 USB-RS485-WE ESD Tolerance.......................................................................... 8

Table 0.1 Default Internal EEPROM Configuration ............................................................ 13

Document Reference No.: FT_000117

USB TO RS485 SERIAL CONVERTER CABLE Datasheet

Version 1.4

Clearance No.: FTDI #75

Appendix C - Revision History

Version Draft First Draft Jan, 2009

Version 1.0 First Release 11th Feb, 2009

Version 1.1 Added and corrected images 14th May 2009

Version 1.2 Corrected default state of the power pin

Added Windows 7 64-bit

Added Description – Length of the cable/wire recommendations 29th October 2009

Version 1.3 Changed TT to BT (Transparent to Black cable) 18th December 2009

Version 1.4 Edited figure 5.1, 6.1 and table 5.1 , signals A Data +ve and 27th July 2010

B Data -ve

Added FCC Certification details

Added section 2.1 USB Compliant Logo

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